Gruber and Imbert still in the lead at Sail Melbourne

[Toby]

IKA News:

Gruber and Imbert still in the lead before the medal races at Sail Melbourne

Light winds conducted the penultimate day for the kiteboarding fleet at Sail Melbourne. With a breeze slowly fading out from 8 knots in the beginning, all fleets got three races in.

Florian Gruber (GER, North) is still leading the pack before tomorrows Medal Races ahead of Torrin Bright (NZL, Ozone) and Matt Taggert (GBR, Ozone). In the womens fleet, Astrid Berz (SUI, Ozone/Aguera) got three bullets today putting here back in the game, but still being behind Ariane Imbert (FRA, North) in first and Lisa Hickmann (AUS, RRD/Ozone) in second.

Tomorrows medal races will kick off at 1200 local time and feature a new racing course format: Short Track. Racing will be conducted in heats, with starts on a reach and then downwind into a windward/leeward course, a similar course as it is used in the Americas Cup. For the mens medal races, only the top two of each heat will advance to the next round, with the final four having a two-race grand final. The women will race the same course, but count their races as normal races for a single series where the best rider after 15 races will take the medal.

Sail Melbourne will then come to an end tomorrow with the prizegiving ceremony at Sandringham Yacht Club.

Tomorrows Heat Order:
Heat 1: Mens Ranks 7, 8, 9, 10
Heat 2: Womens Fleet Race Nr. 12
Heat 3: Mens Ranks 5, 6 and top 2 from Heat 1
Heat 4: Womens Fleet Race Nr. 13
Heat 5: Mens Ranks 3, 4 and top 2 from Heat 3
Heat 6: Womens Race Nr. 14
Heat 7: Mens Ranks 1, 2 and top 2 from Heat 5
Heat 8: Womens Race Nr. 15
Heat 9: Mens Ranks 1, 2 and top 2 from Heat 5